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Sometimes when I am stuck in the office doing the bookwork, trying to balance the books, trying to figure out the budget, working the long hours to make Nappy Shoppe keep going … Sometimes when I stick my neck out and take a leap of faith and sign up for another lease and expand into the space next door … I get rather overwhelmed and wonder why am I doing this?

And then a special moment happens, and I see why I do this. Why I do this for so little monetary return. The emotional fulfillment from this business is high. And today I am watching one of those emotional moments unfold.

One of our regulars is being induced today. She has a one year old. And she is on her own.

And from our Mama tribe they step up. The Mama tribe is what we call our regular group of mums who attend our mums groups. This tribe has formed from the mums groups and is an amazing group of women who support each other.

Today two of the girls have stepped up to become this girl’s birth people. To help be her advocate to help her try and get the birth she wants. Then step up more of the tribe to watch the three one year old’s who need care while these three girls are in the labour and delivery room. One of the tribe even took the day off work to help watch the little ones!

So this morning I raise my latte to the Mama tribe, (and wipe my eyes), because you all are amazing, and I cannot wait to meet the newest baby for the Mama tribe.

It is time we showed the Dad’s of the Nappy Shoppe community some love. For some time now we have offered support for the mothers in our community, with breastfeeding support groups, post par-tum support groups, and mums groups. Now that we have a dad on the Nappy Shoppe team, we can finally offer some groups JUST for Dads!

First off is our Dad’s group. This is a FREE group. Just come and hang out in our classroom with other dads. You can bring your little ones if you wish. We have toys for the toddlers. We will have refreshments as well. Mat, the Dad on our team will be there to share and commiserate etc.

Second is our “Boobs and Beer” event. This is actually a class. For this one we will be serving craft beers and snacks. Mat, our “teacher” will be talking about cloth diapering, babywearing and how to support wives while nursing etc. This class is aimed at expectant and new dads, but all dads are welcome. This is a dad’s night out, so please no little ones. Cost for this one is $5. Book your spot on our classes page.

Dad’s we hope to see you come and attend. Help us build as great a Dad community as we have a Mum’s community.

And a little about Mat, our Dad on the team.

Mat York is the father of two, Baylor who was born in 2012 and Miles who was born in 2015. He and his wife Jordan have been coming into the Shoppe since Baylor was a baby.

Jennifer DeJong is one of our regular customers at the store. She is the mother of twins. About herself she writes “I have been a high school teacher since I graduated from Texas A&M in May 2002. I work full time and even cloth diaper. We live on an acre and have 7 amazing outside dogs and an appaloosa horse I enjoy showing. People thought I was crazy when I said I wanted to cloth diaper and then they thought I was nuts when I said I would do it with twins. While my husband and I are done with having kids we are so blessed and thankful for our two little healthy bundles born in February 2014 at 36.5 weeks. I think it is all about the mindset of what you want to do…… and then just do it.”

I asked Jennifer to tell us her thoughts about babywearing twins. And here is what she wrote:

Babywearing is an amazing concept but when you have twins it is just another hurdle to overcome. Whether you are a stay at home mom or a full time working one, you can get things done and carry your babies. Within 3 hours of purchasing my two slings I had them loaded up and we were outside feeding the horse! I did do my homework before choosing which sling was right for me and I had lots of practice with one sling and one baby. When they were 3 months old I wanted something I could quickly get on and off in the house but still get some housework done. I purchased my first Sakura Bloom sling and I was off and running. Soon I found myself taking the sling outside of the house and it was great to throw in the diaper bag and use at the grocery store or even at a restaurant. (Yes, I take them out to eat even at 3 mo. old). On a side note—I never used the infant carry carseat and for good reason- We needed 6 bases and they grow out of it within a year. I had no idea how much fun babywearing would be and I’m glad we didn’t waste our money on the carry seats. After a few months of just carrying one in a sling I felt like I could handle both in two slings. Sometimes I don’t want to mess with the stroller and just want to carry them. They love being snuggled up and I feel they learn so much from me while I’m carrying them. With the assistance of the Nappy Shoppe employees they instructed me on how to properly wear two slings and both kiddos. I think it was harder for me to pick out coordinating colors than it was to carry two!

I would suggest to carry them both individually for awhile and use both sides with both kids. This way they will be prepared to be on either side and the transition to carrying both will be seamless.

I never go anywhere without my slings now. We even went to the ranch and all three of us climbed inside the tractor and plowed the field when they were 7 mo old. My kids love to be in the action and I know they can’t wait for the next adventure in their slings. I work full time and even cloth diaper. We live on an acre and have 7 amazing outside dogs and an appaloosa horse I show. I think it is all about the mindset of what you want to do…… and then just do it. **I am always keeping their safety in mind. I have help to get them in the slings or I am sitting on the bed/couch. I never get around livestock with them unless there is a solid wall in between us**

Join us Saturday, Nov. 29 for Small Business Saturday! We’ll have refreshments and specials all day long. When you choose to shop small, you give back to YOUR community! #ShopSmallDFWWhen you shop at Nappy Shoppe, you are helping to support 14 different families! And you are helping to support the many free services that we offer to our community, including breastfeeding and post partum support.

Every time you shop with us on Small Business Saturday, you earn a ticket towards winning a gift certificate to one of our favourite businesses. We have certificates for Massage Source in Plano, photo sessions with Kindred Photographer and Mountainpony Photography, and Convinos Pizza and Pasta.

Nappy Shoppe will be open from 10-8pm on Black Friday 2014. Come join us for some great discounts.

We will also have cookies and hot drinks in our classroom. So if you need to chill between shopping expeditions, come and relax in our warm classroom. Let the little ones play with blocks, nurse the baby, or just chat with others.

Cannot make it in to see us because you are out of town for Thanksgiving? Then please shop the website. Unless stated otherwise, these deals will be online. Note that the sale price will not show up until the items are in your cart. Also the Door Buster deals have a limit per customer. Online customers, if you try to put an extra door buster deals in your cart, it will remove the discount totally.

Sorry we will not be processing any returns or pre-loved cloth diaper buy backs on Black Friday.

Saturday November 29th is Small Business Saturday. This day was founded in 2010 by American Express to help raise awareness of the importance of Small Business America. More of your spending dollar remains in the local community when you shop small and local. Did you know that shopping at Nappy Shoppe, you help support SIXTEEN families! True we have mostly part time staff, but that money goes home with them and stay in our community. Our sales taxes stay local, and help support our local infrastructure, from roads, to police, to fire fighters and more.

When you come in and shop with us this month you get the chance to win gift certificates with some of our favourite local businesses. Each time you shop with us you will get a ticket to put towards the gift certificate of your choice. If you are a blue card rewards holder, then you get two tickets.

Join us this Small Business Saturday for our Small Business Bazaar at the Nappy Shoppe. Being a small business we want to show our support for other small businesses and we do so with our bazaar. On Saturday November 29th from 1-4pm, these small businesses will have tables set up throughout our store and in our classroom. We hope you will come and join us and #ShopSmallDFW. I have linked the businesses Facebook pages (if they have one), be sure to go and like them.

The businesses joining us are:

Kindred Photographer – Brandi is a talented photographer who focuses on breastfeeding and babywearing shoots. You will start to see more of her work on our own marketing materials.

Do you love bags as much as I do? Then treat yourself this week! Come get that bag you have been eyeing off and get a gift certificate to spend on anything in the store. * We have a great selection of diaper bags in stock!

So basically for every $50 you spend in diaper bags in store this week, you will get a $10 gift certificate.

Gift certificate is valid for use between December 1st to December 31st 2014. Not valid with any other offer. Gift certificate is only given out with bag purchases, not on other product purchases. Valid in store only. Phone orders to 469-371-5448 welcome. If you bought a bag between 11/1/14 and 11/17/14 we will back date it and give you gift certificates. Just come in during the week of the offer and we will have the gift certificates for you. Must come in to the store between 11/18/14 and 11/22/14 to get backdated purchase gift certificates.

About the author: “My name is Sarah Carlock, mama of one Lily Rose, who constantly reminds me of my rookie status as a parent. She teaches me new things every day, which is find by me. I’m a knowledge junkie and a natural parenting enthusiast. I’m a babywearer, a breastfeeder, and aspiring doula. I am also a music lover, coffee fiend, beer drinker and a foodie. My husband is either really lucky and a saint or has funny taste in women, but together, sometimes we make magic. “

Postpartum Depression …

It happens to a LOT of women. I think it must be pretty rough to get an actual number, because so many women either don’t realize what it is, or are too ashamed or guilt-ridden or too proud to come out with it. I think the scary thing is when we don’t admit it to ourselves, or to our partners. I think the scariest thing is when it goes untreated and unrecognized, because you start to wonder if you’re crazy or ungrateful or just a bitch.

Something that I realized is that, in talks about PPD and ‘baby blues,’ nobody tells you that it doesn’t necessarily have to do with the baby, or your abilities as a mother, or anything pertaining to parenthood. PPD can affect your self-love. It can affect your romantic relationship (I mean, not just in the new baby kind of way.) It can even affect how you relate to other people, outside your family, and how you see yourself as a human in general.

Something else I realized is that not everyone understands or sees it for what it is. Dustin didn’t. It’s not his fault, he is male and is inherently (and blissfully) immune to the sh*t show that is the female hormonal system. He could not understand why things made me cry ALL THE DAMN TIME, or why I hated my body and my mind for months, or why it affected my trust and my love. He couldn’t understand why, without sense or reason, I was a different woman than the confident, fearless, and loving woman he married. Maybe he still doesn’t. This doesn’t make him a bad husband, he still loves me and spoils me and thinks I’m beautiful no matter what. Mostly, it’s just me who doesn’t see it.

My ‘mama tribe’ were the only ones besides Dustin who knew about the depression. Women I met at the Nappy Shoppe, at mum’s groups and through my midwife. I felt guilty telling my family. Ashamed and ungrateful, even. They all had their respective issues at the time, and I couldn’t bring myself to say to them that I was broken and hurting. Not when they saw Lily Rose as the sunshine in the midst of their own stormy days. Not when my dad and his wife had a preemie in the NICU (What right did I have to be sad? My baby was healthy!)

My incredibly powerful circle of women was the support system that changed the game, or at least a very big part of it. Not just hearing their uplifting and empowering words, but seeing their own struggles, and sharing our journey of wifedom and motherhood and all the pertinent idiosyncrasies. Hearing about other women’s struggles somehow validated my own, and we found strength in each other. Retreats and talks and heart-to-hearts abounded. Tears flowed. Ya’ll. Everyone’s normal is different. Just because we are privileged and healthy, or the 1%, or whatever, this does not discredit our hurts and our insecurities. We all have moments of weakness. And it’s ok.

Dustin and I have a crazy good love story. Sometimes, I forget that. Sometimes, we have knock-down, drag-out fights, often because I have forgotten who I was, and lost a lot of love for myself, and so I get insecure and unmotivated. Sometimes, I start sh*t. Sometimes, its because he’s a jerk. Whatever. I think what is going to save us is that HE hasn’t forgotten me. I’m still ME. He isn’t struggling with the mother-wife-Sarah balance. I mean, he definitely wishes I would do more dishes and vacuum during naps instead of cruising Instagram for LRC”s next cute leggings, but in general he knows who I am better than I do, and he knows we will be ok. He knows I will be ok.

Lily Rose. That little girl, that diva, with her dimples and her sass, she has also helped me, in ways I didn’t know possible. Seeing her grow, making choices for her future, thinking about the kind of woman I want her to see as a role model, I HAVE to be ok. I can’t let the darkness win. And trust me, ‘the darkness’ is not a dramatization.That crap is REAL. It would get real dark and real scary sometimes. Self-loathing is UGLY. Especially when it has its claws in your trust and in your imagination.

It gets better, though, ya’ll. Through love, sisterhood, friendship, and even some Reiki and a boozy girls night or two, I am finding Sarah again. I’m not saying everything is back to normal, because THAT particular normality, my pre-baby ‘me,’ is not ever going to happen. I’m saying that I am finally starting to come out of that limbo, that haze of not knowing who or what I even am, of hating myself in pictures and being disgusted at what I see in the mirror. My body is new. It is not what it was. It is different, but not bad. I am healthy. I eat very well. I don’t smoke anymore. I don’t drink THAT MUCH. Also…. I had a dang baby, and I’m f**king lactating. I feed a human with my boobs. My body is BAD. ASS. I don’t look like Kate Upton in a bikini, but let’s be real, neither does Kate Upton. (Although her girls are considerably bigger and perkier. Have a baby, lady.)

Some folks suggested after my ‘Who is Lily Rose?’ post that I write a ‘Who is Sarah Carlock?’ version. The thing is, I wouldn’t have written anything nice. I don’t even think it’d be completely nice even now, but it’s getting better. I will write that post, when I’m ready. When I find me again, and I can say that I’m happy and confident and PROUD of my damn self, I will write that. I’m getting there. This post is in no way intended to incite an avalanche of accolades or compliments. I’ll take all your positive energy and your support, though. And the next time you’re with a friend or loved one who has a new (or newish) baby, ask her how SHE is. Babies get loads of love. Don’t forget the vessel. Don’t ignore the goddess that bore that sweet cherub, because she might need some of that love. Be an ear, be a shoulder, be the strength. She will appreciate that more than I can tell you.

We have been asked so many times if we will buy back used diapers, and to date, we have done our swap days once every couple of months. And invariably this means many miss out because the date does not work for them. So now we are introducing our in store buy back program that is on going. So here is how our new program will work.

Do you have some cloth diapers that you just don’t use? Has baby potty trained? Maybe you washed a few, then decided they weren’t your favorites? Bring them back to Nappy Shoppe for store credit towards anything else in the store.

Nappy Shoppe currently accepts diapers from the brands we stock new with some exceptions for diapers we used to stock or are very familiar with. Diapers must be gently used and in excellent used condition.

Diapers should be clean and odor-free. Please wash and thoroughly dry diapers before bringing them in. Diapers should be free of stains, pet or human hair, lint, tears, fading, etc.

Snaps and Velcro should be fully intact and functional.

Elastic should be snug and functional.

When you bring in your diapers, we’ll look over them and make you an offer. We base our offer on condition and popularity of the diapers, as well as on what we already have stocked. You don’t have to accept our offer, but our offer is firm. As with any consignment or resale situation, the amount of credit we are able to offer you won’t be as much as you’d make if you sold your diapers on your own.

Buybacks are accepted most days but are subject to staff availability. If we are busy, or the right staff is not available, you will need to drop off your diapers for us to evaluate when we can. We will contact you with an offer via phone or email.

We’ll offer store credit ONLY for your diapers. This store credit will never expire and can be used toward the purchase of anything in the store.

Nappy Shoppe reserves the right to refuse credit for any diapers for any reason. We will only be selling pre-loved diapers in store only. There are no returns on used diapers. They may be brought back through the pre-loved system and an offer made if they are still in good condition.

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About Sharni’s Blog:

Hi, my name is Sharni and I run Nappy Shoppe Cloth Diaper Store. I have tried many brands of diapers on my young son Braden, testing them for the store. Some make it, others don't. On this blog I write reviews on cloth diapers and discuss cloth diapering issues.